Electrifying bike sales predicted

The owner of a brand new electric bike shop in Christchurch predicts 80 percent of all new bikes sold in New Zealand will be electric within the next five years.
  
Matty Lovell (pictured) makes the prediction based on his research of the local market in the lead up to opening his store this week.
  
He spoke with e-bike owners and retailers and all told him the same thing: the uptake of e-bikes in New Zealand is exponential and shows no signs of slowing down.
  
By October last year, it’s estimated the total number of e-bikes in New Zealand doubled within the space of a year to more than 40,000. Globally, more than 40 million e-bikes are predicted to be sold every year by 2023.
  
“E-bikes are giving people of all ages and fitness abilities the freedom to get on two wheels in a way that’s great for them, their wallets, and the environment. E-bikes truly are a triple win,” Lovell says.
  
“Christchurch is particularly well-suited to cycling. The city is one of the driest cities in New Zealand, it’s as flat as a pancake, and the council has done amazing work in making the CBD more cycle-friendly with bike lanes and 30 kilometre an hour zones.”
  
Lovell’s shop at 79 Lichfield Street is the 9th Electrify NZ store in New Zealand and its first in The Garden City.
  
The business — which specialises in international brands with solid warranties and support — was founded four years ago, is 100% Kiwi-owned, and imports around 10% of all the e-bikes sold in New Zealand.
  
Lovell says part of the rise in popularity of e-bikes comes from their increasing affordability and the range of styles now on offer.
  
“In the early days, many e-bikes were a bit big and clunky and very limited on the style front. But the technology has grown by leaps and bounds and allowed the battery to be slimmed down, making for much nicer bikes.
  
“We have a number of exclusive models in our range to cater for everyone — from the daily commuter and weekend recreational cyclist through to advanced mountain bikers. These days, there truly is an e-bike for absolutely everyone.”
  
A 2018 University of Auckland study on e-bikes found that e-bikes are making commutes more efficient and less stressful, and they’re likely to lift the rates of cycling amongst women.
  
The report also suggested a drop in e-bike prices would make them more accessible to more commuters, and that’s something Lovell is committed to.
  
“Gone are the days of having to fork out more than $6,000 for an e-bike. Some of our most popular models start at less than half of that.”